1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to accessory equipment to facilitate hunting game with a rifle and more particularly to portable and adjustable apparatus for providing stable support of a rifle.
2. Background of the Invention and Description of the Prior Art
Shooting game with a rifle relies substantially on the ability of the shooter to support the rifle in a steady or stable position to achieve maximum accuracy. The advantage of the long barrel of the rifle to align the trajectory of the round becomes a disadvantage if the rifle is not held in a fixed position after it is aimed at the target and while the trigger is squeezed to fire the round. It is often the case that resting the barrel of the rifle on a fixed object such as a tripod, table, a rock, or some other stationary object enhances the ability to fire a round at a target with improved accuracy. For example, shooting from a blind that has a solid widow frame is one common example of such a fixed object. Other examples include a hunting stand railing or ledge or window, and the like. Nevertheless, the rifle when aimed must still be supported by the shooter in alignment with the target. This can be difficult for a number of reasons such as strong winds, a rifle that is too heavy to hold steady (for instance, young shooters or shooters of small stature), nervousness, a physical disability that impairs proper technique, etc.
A number of efforts to provide stable support for a shooter's rifle in the window or other opening in a blind structure or similar context have been devised in the prior art. Several representative examples include U.S. Pat. No. 7,313,884 issued to Eddins, U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,445 issued to Lehman, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,435 issued to Peltier, all characterized by limited adjustment and adaptability to shooting environments, require the use of tools to make the adjustments, etc.
What is needed is an adjustable rifle support that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art, is portable and easy to install and adjust without tools, permits a wide variety of adjustments, and is adaptable to a variety of window frames in a variety of blinds, shelters, walls, etc.